Rappelling and Learning
Published on February 24 2005
Frightening situations often stimulate learning. Last fall I spent a few days in Australia learning to rappel (or Abseil, as they call it down under). In the process of launching myself off of 30 meter high cliffs, I learned about ropes, anchoring those ropes, carabiners, rock climbing safety, and a host of other things.
While I am not even an amateur in the sport, some of the lessons I learned remain with me. But most don't. The toughest lesson is to learn to transfer the things you learned into business or life settings.
The failure to make this transition is why so many outdoor training programs, while fun and packed with knowledge, rarely make any lasting impact.
Would a period of reflection after each event help? Some think so and practice this, but in my own experience it takes more than refelction alone to anchor the learning.
Would a longer, more intensive session help? Perhaps. Soldiers who have been in combat for long periods of time develop habits and skills that carry over to civilian life (often with unintended consequences). This is why we ask for experience from job seekers. There is no question that the longer you do something the more you learn about it.
But most of us can't rappell frequently enough to make the learning stick.
What does make experiental learning work?
What are your thoughts on this? Comment welcome
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